


She Had Me at Damian

by sahlo_folina



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman: Death in the Family (Movie 2020)
Genre: Angst, Baby Damian Wayne, Fluff, Gen, Good Sibling Jason Todd, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Suicidal Thoughts, jason’s like 17 why does he have a child, talia do you really think the murderous teenager should raise your son, this was supposed to be angst-free how did this happen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:28:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27569821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sahlo_folina/pseuds/sahlo_folina
Summary: i know jason was trying to be all Edgy™ and he was talking about using damian against bruce and talia but?? baby damian is so precious?? you really expect me to believe jason doesn’t just adore this child?? doesn’t immediately drop everything so he can be a Stressed Single Dad™??written as a hanukkah gift for my bestie 💖💜💙
Relationships: Jason Todd & Damian Wayne
Comments: 13
Kudos: 244





	She Had Me at Damian

**Author's Note:**

> i know jason was trying to be all Edgy™ and he was talking about using damian against bruce and talia but?? baby damian is so precious?? you really expect me to believe jason doesn’t just adore this child?? doesn’t immediately drop everything so he can be a Stressed Single Dad™?? 
> 
> written as a hanukkah gift for my bestie 💖💜💙

Manic laughter fills the room, and Jason can’t breathe. He’s lying facedown on the floor and he can’t remember how he got there. He shifts, trying to sit up, but his body screams in agony.

“Tell the big man I said hello.” That voice, that fucking voice, it keeps echoing through his ears and ringing through his mind and he can’t get up, he just lays there crying helplessly and the timer’s counting down and he can’t move, he’s gonna die and no one is coming to save him _please don’t leave me here I’m sorry, I’ll be better, Batman, Bruce, Dad, please-_

Jason wakes up sobbing and retching, his skin on fire. His body is screaming at him, begging for water, so he runs to the bathroom, turning the faucet with shaking hands and splashing his face urgently. But it’s not enough, he keeps burning, and he stumbles into the shower, turning the water as cold as it can go.

Eventually his thoughts turn coherent, and he realizes he’s been curled up on the shower floor, still fully clothed and soaking wet, for who knows how long. He laughs, his voice hoarse and bitter. How pathetic. He’s tried to make himself a threat, but he’s still just a boy, a scared little boy who can’t handle having a bad dream.

A sad boy made of blood and ashes, with a heart so broken he doesn’t know if it’s even worth fixing.

He suddenly realizes that he can hear Damian crying in the bedroom. Of course. Poor kid probably got scared when Jason woke up screaming, and Jason’s been out of it for what feels like a long time.

He takes a deep, shaky breath, turning the shower off and reaching for a towel. He dries himself as best as he can, heading over to Damian.

“Hey, bud. Sorry I woke you.” Jason holds him close, whispering into his hair. “It’s okay. I’m okay.” Damian’s quiet sniffles subside, and Jason presses a gentle kiss on the top of his head.

“We’re gonna be okay.”

* * *

Damian’s cries echo through the room, and Jason groans. “Not again,” he mutters as he drags himself out of bed and stumbles over to his brother’s crib. “Wouldja _please_ shut up already? A guy’s gotta sleep.” He picks up the kid and holds him gently, rubbing Damian’s back and swaying softly. Damian quickly calms down, grabbing Jason’s shirt with tiny hands and gurgling happily. “You do realize I don’t have time to be doing this every night, right?” Damian just coos, nestling his face into Jason’s collar. Ugh. Baby slobber.

Jason crosses back to his bed and sits down, leaning against the headboard. “Y’know, one day you’re gonna have to learn to sleep on your own. All night long. Shocking, I know.” Damian sighs contentedly, cuddling into Jason and drifting back to sleep. Jason rolls his eyes, shifting so he can at least be somewhat comfortable. “You little shit,” he murmurs softly, feeling exhaustion creeping through his body.

He begins singing, almost subconsciously. “ _It was the roar of the crowd, that gave me heartache to sing, it was the lie when they smiled, and said you won’t feel a thing, and as we ran from the cops, we laughed so hard it would sting...”_ His voice is quiet and rough with sleep, but he can still carry a tune. “I haven’t sang in front of anyone for years, kid. You better appreciate it.”

He slips out of conciousness with his brother in his arms and a reluctant smile on his face.

* * *

He doesn’t know when it happens. One day he just looks at Damian and realizes that his plans have changed. He can’t raise this child, this sweet, innocent little kid, to be a killer. What was he thinking?

Maybe he wasn’t thinking at all. Maybe he was just a scared kid who had been through hell and back and wanted revenge. No, not revenge. Bruce and Talia weren’t the ones who had beaten him to a bloody pulp and then tried blowing him up.

Maybe he’s just tired of hurting, and he wanted to make someone else hurt instead.

But this isn’t the way to do it. Are Talia and Bruce less than perfect? Definitely. Do they deserve what he wants to do to them? He’s not sure. The one thing he’s sure about is that he can’t involve Damian. He can’t make his brother into a weapon, nothing more than a tool to lash out with.

That’s not what Robin would do. Robin is good, and pure, and cares about other people more than himself.

And despite what he tells himself, despite all the things he’s done - Jason still carries a small part of Robin in his heart.

* * *

Jason stares into space as he absentmindedly scrubs at a dirty plate. 7am and he can already tell it’s going to be a bad day. His bones ache, and his burn scars itch deep below the skin where he can’t reach. Every time he closes his eyes he sees...

Yeah. It’s days like this when he can’t quite ignore the quiet voice telling him that maybe he would’ve been better off if he hadn’t survived that night.

Jason shakes his head slightly, looking over his shoulder to see what Damian’s up to. The kid’s still sitting quietly in his high chair at the kitchen table, but he’s staring at Jason with a furrow in his brow, as if Jason’s a puzzle that Damian can’t quite understand.

“What’s the matter? Your last brain cell finally abandon your tiny head?”

Damian just keeps glaring at Jason intently. Jeez, good thing the kid doesn’t have laser eyes or Jason would be a little pile of ashes on the kitchen floor.

“Jay?” A tiny voice interrupts his thoughts. Jason freezes, staring at the kid.

“What did you say?” His voice is barely above a whisper.

“Jay... son!” Damian’s face breaks into a bright smile, and he clumsily claps his little hands. “Jay-son!”

And Jason melts. His heart is bursting and for some reason his eyes are teary and his voice breaks when he laughs.

“Yeah, Damian, that’s my name.”

**Author's Note:**

> i have no idea how babies work ok i just look at them and think ‘aw that’s cute’ before running away in case the parent wants me to hold it 
> 
> the song that jason sings is disenchanted by my chemical romance (because jason todd is emo trash and so am i)
> 
> [i have a tumblr!](https://hushlittlewing.tumblr.com/)


End file.
